The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-24
UNDER TWENTY BLANKETS.
The Coolest Night Ever Recorded in Civiiiza-
tion-A Signal Service Mans Experience.

The Coolest Night Ever Recorded in Civiiiza-
tion-A Signal Service Mans Experience.
St Louis Post Dispatch.
Yesterday there was in the city quite dis
tinguished young man. His celebrity consis IS
IN his having recorded the lowest temperature
ever observed within the bounds of civilization.
His name is George A. Garden. and ne was on
his way from Lamar, No, to Chicago, where ne
will act assistant observer in the signal ofice
It was New Years morning, 1885, that Mr.
Garden, then the signal-service observer AT Pop
lar River, NJ. t., sent on the solitary telegraph
ic wire that connected him with the world out
side, this brief but startling announcement:
Temperature. 62 degrees below zero"
Chapel. now observer in charge of the St
Louis station. The two were swapping remi-
niscences of that frigd region to which the mex
orableness of military discipline had at one
time banished them, when a reporter joined
them. Mr.. Garden is good-looking young man,
above the average height. sturdiy built, and
with the dark complexion and accent of born
Southerner
.'You haven't forgotten the coolest day of
your lfe Mr.. CardenP asked the reporter
"Wel hardly" said he, and he gave a sug-
gestive twist to b is coat collar II never shall
either" he went on. Il came nearer freezing
to death than l ever want to again"
"Werent you in the signal station at the
timer
Yes. 1 was" he answered. and then both the
signal men laughed sarcastically. The station,
you must understand. was simply cabin,
10x12, made of cottonwood logs, pinned together.
The roof was also mud, and the
floor was formed with cottonwood boards.
which. having been put down green, had shrunk
till they left cracks which would easily swallow
up the legs of the only chair in the station. The
only thing that made the room habitable WAS
the fact that the hut had been banked up with
dirt that reached up half way to the roof
I'm that little room l went to bed on the night
of Dec. 81, 1881. The bed was within arms
length of big drum stove. large enough to re-
eeive four-foot cord-wood, dare not get
out in the cold to keep up the fire. | had begun
observations at the place year before. Dec. IL,
1888 and was not much surprised on retiring the
last night of 1894 to fad the spirit in the official
Thermometer down in the neighborhood of 90
degrees below. ] had often recorded 90 below
before. but thought that night before retiring
that pretty low temperature would be reached,
the air painfully still and the stars
looked brighter aud nearer than l
tossed about all night, trying to
keep warm. The big stove I kept near
ly red-hot. but still the little room
would not get warm. 1t seemed as cold the
outer sir. Upon me had piled covering equiya-
lent TO twenty thicknesses of blankets Army
blankets, buffalo robes. buffalo coats cloth
coats, everything in the shape OF protection
was heaped upon my little bed. yet still | shiv-
cred under 1t all. No one can form idea of
the cold that night had to wear the heaviest
mitteus and my sealskin cap pulled down
over my ears. Once reached my bare hand
out of the bed to throw another stick of wood on
the fire and before could get the wood in my